Belt loading machine



Oct. 5, 1937. A. w. RODLER BELT LOADING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1936 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Arthur W REIEUEI" Atturn @ci 19373 A. w. RODLER-BELT LOADING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1936 InventurArthur W.R|:1d1Er' myz z Atturne 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 lnventm" Arthur W-RnEller- MW M , Attnrne Oct. 5, 1937.

A. W. RODLER BELT LOADING MACHINE Filed March 13, 1935 MW l x b\ H 4 QGet 5, 1937.

A. w. RODLER BELT LOADING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 13, 1936lTglJ- lw w Iv l Inventor Arthur W REHi1E1" Attmrne Patented Oct. 5,1937 UNETED TA ES (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amendedApril 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a belt loading machine, intended for loadingcartridges into interfitted links to form a cartridge belt of thedisintegrating link type.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an efficient and reliablebelt loading machine in which cartridges and links are suppliedvertically to the machine in which the links are positively held inposition to receive the cartridges, and in which the loaded portion ofthe belt is intermittently advanced in a horizontal direction.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction,arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter andpointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with parts in section, of

" a belt-loading machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of a loaded belt.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a link.

Fig. 4 is a planview of the spring on which a link rests.

Fig. '5 is a sectional View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail'views of the slide respectively in plan, inend elevation and in side elevation.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the bed plate.

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation with'parts in section to show therammer on its forward stroke.

Figs. 11-14 are sectional views on the corre- 140 sponding lines of Fig.1.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view-on the line i5--I5 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view on the line l6l6 of Fig. 14. 5 Fig. 17 is aview in front elevation of the cartridge stop.

The machine comprises a housing 5 having an extension on one end formounting a crank shaft 50 6 having a handle 1 on one end and an arm 8 onthe other end. The crank shaft is intended to be moved in one directionand to this end it is associated with a ball ratchet 9 (Fig. 12). Aconnecting rod IS on the arm is mounted on the pin ll of a cross head l2which is slidably mounted between spaced guide rails l3l3 on the upperside of the housing. The crosshead carries a rammer I 4 which rides inthe trough of a cartridge guide plate I5 and is adapted to move acartridge A along the guide plate. a

A passage i6 (Fig. 5) is provided in the housing 0 and is arrangedtransversely of the rammer. A horizontally movable slide ll mounted inthe passage has a pair of spaced rails i8 and i9 provided respectivelywith upright fingers 2t and iii adapted to engage a cartridge. A bedplate 22 fixed to the housing by means of screws 23 and 2d (Fig. 13) isdisposed above the slide and between the rails i8 and is (Fig. 5). Apair of rods 2525 (Figs. 1 and 13) carried by the slide are guided inapertures 226 in one end of the bed plate 22 and each rod is surroundedby a helical spring 21 confined between the slide and bed plate. Thesprings normally maintain the slide in a predetermined position withrespect to the rammer and this position is determined by a 20 stop pin23 press fitted in the housing.

A casing 29 (Figs. 5 and 13) threaded in the slide i'i from the underside carries a plunger 33 which is normally extruded by a spring 3!, themovement of the plunger beinglimited when a flange'SZ on its upper endengages an annular shoulder 33 formed in'the casing 29.

A bar 3d carried by depending arms 35-35 (Figs. 10, 11, and 15) on thecrosshead i2 extends underneath the slide 61 and rides in a guide 36'w'hichis fixed to the upper wall of the housing by screws '31 and adowel pin 38. The bar is formed with a cam surface 39 on one side andhas a groove 39 on its upper face the bottom of which constitutes a rampleading from the free end of the bar.

When the slide is in normal position of rest, its plunger 36 is disposedin the path of the groove 4!! so that when the rammer is moved'in theloading operation the plunger is first elevated by the floor of thegroove and then depressed by its springwhen it is cleared by the upperedge of the cam surface 39 of the bar. As seen in Fig. 5 when the rammeris in full loading position the plunger is in rear of the cam surfaceit. Upon retraction of the rammer the cam surface 39 displaces theplunger 39 and the slide I? by which it is carried. When the bar 35clears the plunger, the springs 21 restore the slide and plunger tonormal position and the latter is again positioned in the path of thegroove A3 of the bar (Fig. 10).

The bed plate 22 is of sufiicient width to accommodate links B (Figs. 2and 3) into which the cartridge A is pushed by the rammer. The links areof the well known disintegrating belt type having single and doubleloops, the single loop of one link and the double loop of an adjoininglink connected by a cartridge which upon withdrawal disconnects thelinks. The links B are supplied by gravity from a chute C which has afoot M fitting in a socket 52 (Figs. 1 and 14) in the housing. Anopening 53 (Fig. 13) in the foot receives the head 44 of a bolt 45 thatis threaded in a nut 45 carried by the housing. A hook 41 pivotallycarried by the foot M is movable underneath the head of the bolt whichwhen screwed down firmly attaches the chute C in place.

The exit of the chute is positioned adjacent the bed plate 22 and a linkemerging from the chute onto a spring A8 carried by the bed plate isengaged by a stop member 49 (Fig. 13) formed on the lower end of aplunger 53. The plunger is mounted in a tubular casing formed on a plate52 fixed to the housing, and a bolt 53 threaded to the plunger passesthrough the cover 54 of the casing 5!. The bolt is formed with a head 55which engages the cover 5 to limit downward movement of the plungerunder the influence of a spring 55.

A plunger 51 (Fig. 5) mounted in the housing underneath the plate 52carries a bolt 58 whose head 59 engages the housing to limit movement ofthe plunger under the influence of a spring 69. The inner end of theplunger is disposed in line with the rammer and in the path of thebullet of the cartridge. It is formed with a. socket 6| (Fig. 17) forreceiving the bullet and has a lateral opening 62 to permit exit of thebullet.

An ammunition hopper or chute D mounted on the housing over the guideplate i5 is inserted between the guide rails 13-! E3 and between guides63-63 (Fig. 14). It is held in place by a set screw 64. A tray 65 ismounted on brackets 56-66 in the housing by a tongue and groovearrangement, in position to receive the loaded belt as it is. advancedby the slide l1.

When the chutes C and D are supplied respectively with links B andcartridges A, the lowermost link B will fall by gravity until it isengaged by the stop member as and the lowermost cartridge will fall ontothe guide plate l5. The links are presented with the single loopforemost but as the single loop of the first link cannot be used thecolumn of links is advanced either by pressing on the column or raisingthe plunger 50 until.

interfitted loops of the first and second link are placed in line withthe rammer.

If the handle 'I is now turned, the rammer M will be reciprocated and onits forward stroke it will feed the cartridge through the interfittedloops of the first and second links. The cartridge being loaded into thelinks is arrested by the links and by the plunger 5?. 7

On the rearward stroke of the rammer, the cam surface 39 on the bar 374acting on the plunger 35! advances the slide ll against the action ofthe springs 21. The loaded cartridge being engaged by the fingers 25 and2| of the slide is thereby moved out of the path of the rammer andtowards the tray 55, while the column of links in the chute is advanceda corresponding amount. The loaded cartridge during this movement raisesthe stop member @9 and when the cartridge clears the stop member, thelatter is immediately depressed by the plunger spring 55 to engage thedouble loop of the trailing link and therebylimit the loaded links to astep-by-step movement.

As soon as the bar clears the plunger 39, the slide is restored to itsnormal position for loading by means of the springs 2'5, and in thisposition the plunger 39 is placed in front of the groove 40 of the bar34. On the next forward stroke of the rammer and the bar 3 3 the rampconstituted by the groove ll causes the plunger 35 to be elevated and asthe bar terminates its forward stroke and clears the plunger, the latteris forced downwardly by its spring into position behind the cam surface35.

I claim:

1. In a machine for loading a link belt, a housing, a reciprocallymounted rammer carried by the housing, means for supplying cartridges tothe rammer, a horizontally movable slide mounted for movementtransversely of the rammer, fingers on the slide, a bed plate overlyingthe slide and disposed between the fingers of the slide, springs seatedon the bed plate and acting on the slide to normally hold it in loadingposition, means whereby the slide is moved against the action of thesprings on the rearward stroke of the rammer, means for supplying linksto the bed plate between the fingers of the slide, a plunger carried bythe housing and arranged to hold the links in the path of movement ofthe rammer, and a plunger carried by the housing and arranged to arresta cartridge moved into the links by the rammer.

2. In a machine for loading link belt, a housing, a reciprocally mountedr'immer carried by the housing, means for supplying cartridges to therammer, a horizontally movable slide mounted for movement transverselyto the rammer, fingers on the slide, a bed plate overlying the slide anddisposed between the fingers of the slide, springs seated on the bedplate and acting on the slide to normally hold it in loading position,means whereby the slide is moved against the action of the springs onthe rearward stroke of the rammer, means for supplying links to the bedplate between the fingers of the slide, and means for releasably holdingthe links in the path of movement of the rammer.

3. In a machine for loading a link belt, a housing, a slide carried bythe housing, cartridgeengaging members on the upper side of the slide, aplunger on the under side of the slide, a rammer for feeding a cartridgeinto th path of the cartridge-engaging member of the slide, and a cammember associated with the rammer and acting on the plunger to advancethe slide.

ARTHUR W. RODLER.

